9 Magical Ways to Use a Toothbrush in Your Beauty Routine

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As beauty editors, it’s our job to laud the radiance-boosting abilities of cutting-edge serums and sing the praises of magical hair-perfecting sprays. But this doesn’t mean we don’t appreciate the basics. Case in point: an ordinary toothbrush. Though you use this humble tool every day to keep your pearly whites clean, it has a multitude of other secret abilities too—which is why we recommend every woman have a spare one in her makeup case at all times.

Intrigued? Keep flipping for nine beauty tricks you can do with a toothbrush!

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#1: Tame Flyaways

If you’re prone to baby hairs and flyaways, a tothbrush will help tame your mane. Just spritz it with your favorite hairspray (we like Unite’s MaxControl Spray) and use it to lightly comb your flyaways in place. If you have thicker, coarser hair, then you can spray the hairspray directly onto your strands as well for extra staying power.

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PHOTO: IMAXTREE

#2: Whiten Nails

Stained nails? A toothbrush will scrub those stains away. Just squirt some whitening toothpaste onto a toothbrush, then scrub at your nails like you would your teeth. Voila—whiter, shinier nails!

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#3: Brush Your Brows

For days when your trusty spooly goes missing, use a toothbrush instead. We like dabbing a bit of lip balm, like Eos’ Smooth Sphere Lip Balm ($4), or clear mascara on our brows, then brushing them in place with a toothbrush.

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#4: Create a Nail Art Masterpiece

Dab a toothbrush in a bright nail polish, then dot it on your nails for a very Van Gogh-inspired effect.

#5: Fix a Faux Tan Mistake

You can also rely on a toothbrush to fix any faux tan mistakes. First, make your potion—we recommend combining a cup of water with half a cup of lemon juice and a tablespoon of baking soda. Then, dip your toothbrush in and gently brush over the areas that ended up too dark. The lemon juice will lighten, while the soft bristles of your toothbrush will gently exfoliate.

#6: Tease Your Hair

No brush? No problem. Next time you’re trying to build va-va-voom volume, just use a toothbrush to backcomb your hair at the roots, then finish with a spritz of texturizing spray, like Evo’s Mister Fantastic Texture Spray ($30).

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#7: Make Your Blow-Dryer Work Better

If your blow-dryer hasn’t been performing up to par lately, lint buildup could be to blame. Use a toothbrush to clean out the vent.

#8: Help Your Dry Shampoo Game

We’ve already talked about all the secret uses for dry shampoo. For example, a tinted version, like Bumble & bumble’s, helps cover up roots. Spray it directly into your roots, then use a toothbrush to brush out the color so it looks even and natural.